Catching a Fallen Star....

This was inspired by several artists I have been studying lately, but I think mainly by Sharon Harkness-Dobler, who gave the LFI2018 lesson this week.  She has a folksy style with strong colors and little reverence for proportion! I love her style.  She is on instagram and I always love seeing what she comes up with.

This is a small piece on paper, 9x12 and worked up fairly quickly.  I love the piece's quirkiness and hope you do also.

Have a good one...Di

What makes a painting real? (in my world!)

I call this a 'real' painting.  "What makes it real?", you ask. .... I will explain.  Always creating, usually daily, I do not always work on something that will go in a show or that I plan to exhibit.  My balance, as a creative, is found in play and challenges.  So therefore, I do 'real' paintings and 'play' paintings.  This painting is a 'real' painting and is part of a series about how the perception of reality is subjective and that there are so many unseen factors in life.  This belongs to my current 'body of work'.

Now, are 'real' paintings better than 'fun' paintings.  Absolutely not.  All my paintings are created to the best of my ability but I do think you hear my innermost voice strongest in the paintings for exhibit.  They are more thought out and have more of a story.  'Fun' or 'Real', they are both art and hopefully interesting and thought provoking.   So now you know....... :-)

PS this painting will be showing at Broadway Studios and Gallery, Knoxville, TN...with a body of work the month of June...opening June 1

Sometimes....

Sometimes...you paint something, somewhat intuitively, and you just love it.  It has faults, it has irregularities, but there is something in its essence that speaks to you.  This is one of those paintings for me!

I am calling it, "Over Coffee", and to me she is just absorbed in listening and understanding.  Yes, she looks like she REALLY needs some caffeine..but I find her engaged and engaging visually.

This one is 18" 24" and I used acrylic, inks, graphite, and pastels.

Not even Dry Yet!

Had to post this one as I am in love with it. I am in love with most of  my paintings when I finish them (kind of like a new boyfriend)!  Later, I will probably find something that needs to be fixed and I will fix it.

This is a result of an assignment about Frida Kahlo--yes, you are right, the is not Frida--and she is suppose to have flowers in her hair, never have been good at following directions.  I use the class as a springboard for ideas and new painting techniques.  This technique is quite a bit busier than I usually do-but I like it.
This is 18 x 24 acrylic on paper....took awhile, so tomorrow is catch up day with the chores...yuck

Having so much fun!

Just having a lot of fun making 4" x 6" pieces of original art for a guild 'pop up show'!  Because they are small and take less time than a large piece they can just be done for exploration without concern as to how they relate to the rest of my work.  As you can see, there are multiple styles and mediums used.  I think I will just do these forever...and ever, and ever (should be a chorus to a song).  We were encouraged to do 10 and I am at about 20 now....so I will just pick out the 10 I like most and the others will sell eventually...and I HAVE HAD A GREAT TIME doing them...Enjoy...

Soft Pastels

This is a 'class project' of a mixed media piece utilizing  mainly soft pastels!     I haven't used my pastels in easily 20 years but I found them, claimed them and had a lot of fun with them.    I am calling this work- The Church Ladies.  From the pictures, you can see that we started out gluing down the basic shapes and working from there.  Pastels can be soft and gentle or wild and emotive.  We were encouraged to be wild and emotive.  Leaving marks raw and exposed is something I love, love, love, to do!  This is not one of my 'series' pieces, but I had fun working on it.  It was a great exercise.

"Home and Spirit"

So...it appears that I am on a bit of a roll right now. This piece would probably be considered a 'sister' piece to the work in my last post.  It is the same size, 30 x40" and acrylic also.  The imagery of homes and spirit figures are shared, as well as the pathways.  The colors I would definitely call jewel tones and the approach is the same as far as brushwork and under painting. This roll has to slow down as I need some smaller pieces that I can sell easier for an upcoming show in June.

Painting large is so gratifying that is hard to go back and do smaller pieces.  But if I must, I must......

Taking the rest of the day off from painting and tending to the business side of the 'coin'....

Enjoy.....di

Loving the colors in this one!

"Families"

I am always drawn to intense, saturated colors, and this piece is no exception!  This piece is in respect to all the animal kingdom and their 'families'.  The father image on the left is revering the small offspring of the bird in the right corner.  Home and family is definitely a cornerstone in my work.  I think this may live in my house for a while....well, until another one takes its place  It is a strong piece.  This is acrylic and is 30"x40".

Painting the Feminine--apparently new phase!

Friends

Dreams

So, apparently I am painting from my 'feminine side' lately which is probably not a horrible thing but I have a fear that I might get stuck in this phase.  However, who knows how long it takes ideas to play out and an artist needs to 'go with their flow'.

Really enjoying using the strong, whimsical colors, and playful imagery.  Do not ask me what the images mean because I am not quite sure!  Maybe in retrospect (10 years from now) I will be able to identify where my head was at.

For now I am just enjoying the fun of seeing where my intuition takes me and hopefully the paintings carry you to a playful place. For now...Flowing on....

a departure.....

This week I have departed (temporarily) from what I have been working on for this year and have gone to the other side!  OH NO!  The pretty side....seriously I am not sure how to handle this.  I always like a beauty in the colors, and peacefulness in the subject matter but I do not usually do pretty faces, etc.

However after saying that, I do love the colors in this piece and find it wellll, 'pretty'.....mmmmm

Painting the Feminine Lately....

These are perhaps a bit sentimental but I do love them.  The upper piece is called "Home" and the lower piece is called "Lead Me".  They of course reflect the spirit and its connection to our lives and our meaning.

I use textures and marks to build up the background and then acrylic glazes, ink washes, fluid acrylic  and full body acrylic paints are applied on the surface .

It feels awkward to speak of my own work but all in all, I can tell you that I am happy with these.  Smiley face--☺☺☺

Productive week....

 Cleaning out my studio two weeks ago and found 3 gallery wrapped 12" x 12" canvases  Decided to do a little grouping for fun and ended up with these three!  Not really a grouping more like a mini series, but I decided for some insane reason to challenge myself to do all three this week.  Somehow, I think that I will move a little slower this week.  Saying that is a lie but it makes me feel good.  Have three large canvases that are calling my name.  We shall see.... ENJOY...di

An Attempt!

Soooo....had an assignment to do a piece reflecting Mary Cassatt...that in itself was intimidating!  Do not particularly like Cassatt, respect yes, adore no, and I knew I was in for a ride.  I could have done a vaguely interpretive, contemporary piece about mother and child... BUT I knew that because I really did not want to do a sweet, romantic, idealized, somewhat realistic piece, that meant I needed to attempt to do one.

I reviewed Cassatt's work and felt that the work was about a 'snapshot' of idyllic family time/life. So now I had to go get an appropriate 'sweet' photo! ARGH... BUT in the middle of the night (of course) I realized that I had many, many, photos in my photo albums (who would have thought!).  There came to mind a sweet picture of two of my granddaughters at the top of a flight of stairs when they had dug out some ballerina costumes and were ready to put on a show for us! Perfect!!!!

Now I do not profess to be a master at this type of work.  I do not profess to have mastered impressionistic brushwork.  But I do think it is cute and most of all---I conquered my fear and I did it.

Usually my posts are short and sweet but I guess angst takes longer....Sorry!

Abstraction....

Having fun with a bit of abstracting....... this is why I take classes online because I am always learning about new products, approaches, and being stretched to try new things.  I think the bottom painting is the better attempt at abstracting.  When you are a literal thinker it is hard to lose all form!!

Studies in Neutral...

Hello...My name is Diana and I am a Color Addict!  So, this week in one of my online classes the lesson was with a 'limited palette'....horror music playing in the background!!!!  But all kidding aside, I love brown tone paintings and have been thinking I might need to tone down the saturated colors I use in my paintings.  I know this will not totally happen but I did really enjoy doing these two pieces.

Usually in a class, I take the new ideas, techniques, or whatever and apply them to a piece that reflects my body of work.  The lady in the white dress is in my art journal and purely for fun.  The top artwork is titled, 'Wholeness" and is a continuation of my orb series.

It was a fun week as you can observe.  FYI...the two online classes I participate in are, Let's Face It 2018, and Painting Your Heart and Soul 2018,...there are some incredible artists participating and some very good beginning artists.  The classes keep me humble and off the streets-two very good things..looking forward to the new classes ....xxoo Di

"The Moment of Surrender"

This painting was inspired by a class that I am taking in which a landscape was presented for us to do.  The main focus was on the sky.  When I started seeing a sky in my mind, I kept envisioning the moment when the spirit leaves a body.  And that image in my head was the birth of this painting.

First painting of the year!

Won't say much about this  because I posted this am...first picture of the year continuing the spiritual orb....I was thinking of the marriage ceremony when I created this....no title at this time.....

Have to love January....

I have come to love the month of January!  The holiday season comes to a close, the calendar opens up, the weather is chilly, and it is a perfect time to get back in the studio.

Every year I try to take an extraneous class, just for fun and enrichment.  Last year I took a class on portraits.  This year the class is about learning from the masters.  In fitting style, the first projects have to do with the renaissance.  So here is my spirit orb renaissance lady.  This was so much fun to do and I am really looking forward to the future classes.  The class is a facebook class and called Let's Face It 2018 for anyone interested in participating.  It is very well coordinated!

Of course, I am continually working on my current series and will post the works as I finish them.  There are several shows and prospects in line for this year, so back to work.  (but it is not really work if you love doing it...right?).

"The Impermanency of Life"

This is a piece that deals with the transitory nature of life.  Whether by man events, disease, or aging, we all terminate at some time.

The turquoise orbs I use frequently are my spirit symbols, and the ladder is the path through life in which (hopefully) we evolve to a higher self.

In this piece the orbs have opened and the the spirit transcends.  It was against my nature to leave so much open space but I think the way I painted this piece...says what I am trying to say.

Hopefully, anyway....forgive any typos, am rushing as I have a party to go to.... smiles, di

"Fisher Women of the Ice Lands"

This mixed media piece just makes me smile!  This artwork is in response to a class by Deb Weiers in which her piece was entitled, "Fish People of the Prairies".  I love her work and her piece is delightful.  Her style is more graphic than mine so of course they came out very different (other than thematically) from each other.  The differences in artist's styles and mark making is one of the things that make me love art and creating.  We all have our own voice.  What a celebration!

So, it really doesn't particularly fit with my usual work but it was so much fun to do.  Enjoy.

"Prayerful"

This is a redo of an older painting that I was never happy with.  When I am 'thinking' about what new work I want to start, sometimes I will work on an older painting that just never felt finished or too simple in its composition.  I think I am happy with this now...it ties in with what I have been doing lately and I think it is a pretty little piece.  It is only 9"x 12".  It is a gem.

"Sense the Presence"

This is actually a fairly large piece which I have titled, "Sense the Presence".  It measures 3'x4' and I love working this size.  The paintings themselves seem to have more importance when they are larger.  The smaller pieces are like gems and the the larger are the cornerstones for a series.  IMHO

Been on a cruise to Canada so now the holiday season is creeping up so my postings may slow down a bit until I can totally focus on painting in January.  I love January just for the reason that life slows down and studio time is not so hard to find.

Enjoy...di

"Art in America"

In my September 9th post, I wrote that I wanted to do a John Singer Sargent 'response painting'.  This is it.  I started with the plan to do a country person in a field but then I began reflecting.  Reflecting can be a good thing or a bad thing.  In this case, I think it was a good thing.  I thought how Sargent had painted high society and life in his time.  Now, in contrast, my time is a little different.....art is losing its importance especially with the masses, being cut from schools....etc.  So, this is my 'statement' on the status of the arts today...I will say no more!  I present to you, "Art in America".

"Angels behind the Garden Gate"

Hot off the easel...pushing myself to build more levels and visual textures.  Still staying with spiritual themes and using my angelic figures but building on the colors and using more spontaneity in the building of the layers.

I think you will probably be seeing several variations of this theme.  This one is 18"x24", acrylics on paper. The next one is going to be 3'x4'.  Feeling the need for big strokes.   Hope you like....Di

Busy Week in studio...

Busy week..this is a 10x14" piece, acrylic on paper and I have to say that I like it.  Hope you do also.  di-  short and sweet today :-).....

"Let the Children Know No Sorrow"

This is a 'redo/finish' of a painting I started a long time ago.  I had never finished it but liked the three musicians and never threw the canvas away.  As the painting progressed (this time), I started to see where it was to go.  When finished, I knew in my soul that the title of the piece was, "Let the Children Know No Sorrow".  Times are so chaotic and divisive now that it is scary, sobering, and oppressive.  It is my hope that the children will not feel the weight of the world on their shoulders and that we as adults can correct and heal the world so that we can once again be proud of who we are and what we represent.  Sorrow has visited this planet many times through the ages but my hope is that the children can be enveloped in the joy of life.

This is probably not my best painting ever but it is a heartfelt one.  Namaste...di

to add a layer or not to layer....that is the question!

The reason this was a challenge is because at each stage of the painting I was so tempted to call it done!  I had to take the risk of ruining all that I had done and just hope that I liked the next layer better than the one I had just finished.  I am glad that I kept going and next time I probably need to push even further.  The trend in painting now, from what I have seen, is obsessively patterned and spattered images.  For me there is a fine line between complexity and just too much.  I am basically a simple soul. Not simple minded, hear, hear!

So this is this week's painting.  I am calling it, "Metro Girls".
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Who Knew????

This year has been a great year in my studio!  I have participated in two internet classes that have been exercising and honing my skills.  This piece is for a challenge to paint like John Sanger Sargent.

Now, Sargent, is by far one of my most respected idols.  His portrait work just blows me away (highly technical art verbiage).  I know this piece would probably have Sargent rolling over in his grave but I kind of like it.  It  has nothing in common with my other work but it was a great project to tackle.

Who knew...that I would ever do a 'formal' standing portrait of a male?  I think maybe I should do more (hmmmm).  To be honest, I was really looking for a picture of an old man in overalls to fit in with my 'style in Tennessee', and my sense of humor, but I settled for college boy instead.  Maybe next time a farmer....who knows....

This week...

I am looking rather crazy these days 'stylewise'....Normally I work on a series, but this year I have taken a year off to just explore.  I enrolled in a couple classes to make myself try new things and it has been a very productive year so far.  The classes have really refreshed my viewpoint, honed some skills, and let me see what is happening in that big internet art world out there. Now it is almost time to start another series.  I have until the first of next year (self determined) to decide on a theme for the next series. The hard part of doing a series is that one wants to do something different than what is currently being done.  Hmmmm, working on it, that is all I can say for now.

The above picture was this weeks assignment in a class that I am taking..have a blessed week!....bye

Everything is Coming Up Roses!

This week's exercise was roses!  Now, I love roses as much as the next girl so I had to go for it.  A 'pretty' stylized face, even made it onto the piece.  Not my usual style but it was really fun to create.  Maybe I will let this lady visit my village with all the imaginary characters.  She would like it there!  This is in my fancy journal (see below) so it will be in my book maybe forever.







The picture below will give you an idea where the new series is going.  Spirituality is always the theme in my work.  Fences are appearing along with the ladders, so we shall see where this journeys.  Think I need to lighten up the colors a little, as they are a bit intense.  Must be an intense time in my life.  Nahhhh.....

"Silencing the Mind"

This was an exercise in being expressive.  That is second nature to me when I paint, so I LOVED doing this.  I probably tightened it up a little too much.

I am titling this piece, "Silencing the Mind".  A special friend inspired it. She is a very spiritual, prayerful, and powerful embodiment.  So, this is in honor of her.

The colors in this piece are rather unusual but I do love to push the boundaries.  They work, I think, I hope...... :-).,......di

the good news, the bad news.....

The bad news is I had hoped to have at least 24 portraits done by this time, this year.  The good news is I have 12.  Can't be too hard on myself: knee replacement, tons of company, put up two shows, etc.  Life is life and I have to admit that I have painted some other paintings since the first of the year also...SOOO..I love me, cutting some slack, and keeping on, keeping on...  These are all inspired by different techniques so they are quite varied, which of course, is a good thing and a bad thing...hmmmmm

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.....

I am in a 'class' in which we are being challenged to create art pieces that are in our own 'style' but inspired by a master artist.  For the month of September we are doing Botticelli.  Of course, he is out of the Renaissance Period, where perfection and symmetry were revered.  I immediately thought of his great work "Primavera (Spring)" which has the three graces dancing in it.  NOW.... in my work, perfection is not found, I chose instead to revere wisdom, aging, and sisterhood...so that is where I went in a different direction.

The title of my piece is "Inverno" which is Italian for winter and I celebrate the later stages in life.  My figures are not elongated, nor perfection, yet they are kind and wise.  I stayed with a muted color palette referencing a later stage in life and Botticelli's three graces palette.  I chose not to make the women old but just more mature and less idealized.  In this piece I celebrate the ties that bind, the cords that interweave, and the connection among the sisterhood.

My 'style' utilizes simple shapes, layered color, and a narrative approach.  Hopefully, you can see a little of Botticelli's influence in there.

Thanks for listening.....Di

#11 of the "Crones"

This 'crone' is basically charcoal with a paint overlay.  Really like the effect.

This is number eleven and I think I want 20, all with different approaches and styles.  Then I will show them all together in a big block.  I probably need to do some men and am having a 'hankering' to do some seated portraits.  We shall see.

Have another painting in the works that is a tongue in cheek piece.  Will post when done.

later....too busy to chat today!

Several projects, finished up today....

There are days when I don't think I am getting anything done because I work on multiple pieces at a time.  Then there are days when several pieces complete in a day!  This is one of those days.  These three are still drying from the finishing varnish and I still have to sign the top one-but this is a day when I feel like I am progressing.  Time is not a factor, I have no deadlines in the near future so I do not know why there is a compulsion to produce.....it just is there in my soul to create....who knows!

My 'fancy' sketchbook

So, this is my 'fancy' sketchbook in which I do images that are just for challenging myself.  It is 11"x 14" so it is large for a sketchbook.  This page I wanted to do something pretty.  In one of the classes I am participating in,  everyone does such beautiful women faces and I do real (mostly old) people.  This particular lesson was on using gold foil which of course I could not get on smoothly but what the heck!  My face in reality is not as good as a lot of the people but it is my style and my husband loves it.  So that counts for something....

This sketchbook is kind of treated as a journal, but I tend to obsessively finish the pages, a journal should probably be looser. I am in no hurry so I sporadically work in it.  You can see the opposite page above is totally different from the pretty Madonna.  Sometimes, I am tempted to cut out a page and frame it BUT I have not allowed myself to do that yet. It is a 'collection'!

close up of above "Madonna"

 Here is a glimpse inside of my sketchbook...all mediums, all techniques and lots of experimentation....